Guide bar control for knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A control apparatus for use in a Raschel machine for effecting movements of the guide bar and comprising a pair of spaced bars which are bodily movable up and down by cam and spring means and on which the guide bar can slide with a reciprocating motion.

United States Patent Perrier [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] GUIDE BAR CONTROL FOR KNITTING [56] References Cited MACHINES UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] inventor: Augustin Perrier, Lyon, France 3 I71 271 3/1965 Noe l 66/85 [73] Assignee: Manufactures Jean-Baptiste Martin, Andre 3,410,] 13 l 1/1969 Bassist ..66/84 Char n 8: y France 3,464,236 9/1969 Bassist ..66/86 221 Filed: 5 1970 3,469,419 9/1969 Kohl ..66/86 X [2]] Appl 16383 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Att0rneySughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 6, 1969 France ..6906i76 [571 ABSTRACT A control apparatus for use in a Raschel machine for effecting U.S. Cl ..66/86 movements of the guide bar and comprising a pair of spaced 581 Field of Search ..66/84, 85, 86, 87 whch-are f l and W spmg means and on which the guide bar can slide with a reciprocating motion.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures I w L T s 2 11 3 ,11 -24 l-zs 1', 6 I ll 17 12 j 2 IHJL. 1 l Jill PATENTED MAR 2 8 m2 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTED MAR 2 8 I972 SPEET 3 BF 3 GUIDE BAR CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES This invention relates to a mechanical apparatus for transmitting to the pile bar of a Raschel loom the movement which is necessary for it to knit with one or two needle rows a velvet or a plush with a close pile.

Applicants copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 882,245, filed Dec. 4, 1969, describes a method of knitting which makes it possibleto manufacture on a Raschel machine with one or two needle rows, a velvet or a plush with a close pile. The object of this method is to facilitate the manufacture on a Raschel machine, of fine-gauge plush, and consequently of close pile velvet. For this purpose, the aforesaid application Ser. No. 882,245 makes it possible to impart to the guide bar for the pile thread a three-dimensional movement comprising the traditional reciprocating and oscillating movements to which there is added an alternating, vertical movement.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus adapted to be interposed between the guide bar for the pile thread of a Raschel machine, and the mechanisms controlling the reciprocating movement and the oscillating movement, the apparatus comprising supports connected to the oscillating shaft, slides connected to the supports which slides are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the oscillating shaft, the slides each serving as a guide, a spring-loaded piston in each slide, a cam acting on each piston against the spring action, the cams being supported on rotary shafts parallel to the oscillating shaft and mounted on a stationary support on the machine, spaced bars supported by the pistons and their piston rods, the bars being parallel to the oscillating shaft and being displaceable by the pistons under the action of the cams and springs whilst maintaining their spacing, brackets slidable along the bars with a reciprocating motion, and a guide bar connected to the brackets and adapted to be coupled by a swivel connection to the mechanism for controlling the reciprocating movement.

Preferably there is provided at the top of each piston a roller driven by the rotating cams.

If the invention is used on a Raschel machine with a double needle row, there is provided above each piston, two cams rotating in the opposite direction, at half-speed in relation to the alternating movement of the oscillating shaft. Thus, the guide bar is lowered when it moves back on one needle row, while it remains in the upper position when it returns advancing on this same needle row.

In any case, the control of the rotation of the cams is ensured in synchronism with the rest of the machine, by means of a known mechanism with pinions or chains.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a part-sectional elevation of the mechanical apparatus according to the invention where the guide bar for the pile thread is lowered by the cams; and,

FIGS. 2 to 9 are end views, i.e., in the plane at right angles to the oscillating shaft, illustrating the difierent successive phases of an operating cycle, in the case of knitting on a Raschel machine with two rows of needles.

The mechanical apparatus is hung on the oscillating control shaft 1 provided in the normal manner on a knitting machine of the Raschel type. This shaft 1 oscillates alternately in one direction and the other. It is integral with supports 2, which it is assumed are two in number (FIG. 1). On each support 2 there is fixed a slide which may be constituted by a cylinder 3 in which slides a piston 4. Each of the pistons 4 is extended downwards by a rod 5 provided at its end with a bearing 6. A compression spring 7 is housed around the rod 5, between the piston 4 and the base 8 of the stationary cylinder 3 on which it is supported. Above the cylinder 3, the pistons 4 are connected by a bar 9 parallel to the shaft 1. A similar bar 10 connects the two bearings 6.

The two bars 9 and 10 serve as guides for perforated slidable brackets 11. These brackets are perpendicular to the oscillating shaft 1, and, at their lower end, they are fixed to the back of a guide bar 12. The guide needles 13 of this bar are used for guiding the pile thread 14 of the plush or velvet which it is proposed to knit.

The bar 12 is provided at one of its ends with a swivel 15, which a pivoted lever 16 connects to the known coupling (not shown) of a mechanism of the normal type able to impart to the guide bar 12 an alternating reciprocatory motion (FIG. 1 double arrow 17 At its top, each piston 4 supports a shaft 18 parallel with the oscillating shaft 1 and on which there freely rotates a roller 19.

This roller is controlled by one or more carns 20, 21, the rota- 7 tion of which is controlled by one or more shafts such as 22 and 23, parallel to the oscillating shaft 1. These cams cause the descent of the pistons 4 and of the guide bar 12 (arrow 24, FIG. I), while the springs 7 ensure the reascent of the coupling 4, 12 (arrow 25, FIG. 1).

The oscillations of the shaft 1 on itself, the alternating movement of the lever 16 (double arrow 17) and the release of the ascending and descending movement of the guide bar 12 (arrows 24 and 25) are controlled in synchronism with the movement of the machine, the means used for ensuring this synchronisation being known.

There is illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 9, the particular case of knitting a velvet or plush in a double piece on a Raschel machine with two needle rows 26 and 27. Each of these needles has a hook 28 or 29 and a latch 30 or 31 of known type.

In this particular case, it is necessary to provide two shafts 22 and 23 rotating in opposite directions (arrows 34 and 35, FIG. 3) at half-speed in relation to the oscillations of the shaft 1, so as to act by means of two different cams 20 and 21 on each roller 19 of the same piston 4.

The operation is as follows:

At the beginning of the cycle, the guide bar 12 is in the upper position. It moves forward (FIG. 2, arrow 32) in order to describe the path of its oscillating movement. The cams 20 and 21 each comprise a boss which remains outside the trajectory described by the rollers 19. Consequently, the cams remain stationary during this forwards movement of the guide bar 12 on the row of needles 26. The pile thread 14 is thus brought forwards. It passes under the hook 28 of the needles 26 when the bar 12 describes its reciprocating movement (FIG. 1, arrow 17) under the action of the mechanism coupled to the lever 16.

Then the oscillation of the shaft 1 brings the bar 12 behind the needles 26 (FIG. 3, ARROW 33) such that the pile thread 14 is passed under the hook 28 of these needles, but above the latch 30 since the pistons 4 remain in the upper position.

Due to the rotation of the shaft 22 (FIG. 4, arrow 34), the peak of the cam 20 acts on the roller 19 and drives the piston 4 against its spring 7. This causes a descent of the guide bar 12 (arrow 24) and the pile thread 14 is pressed, i.e., it passes underneath the latch 30 of the needles 26.

Since the shaft 1 continues its oscillation (arrow 32) the movement which was a withdrawal of the bar 12 in relation to the needle row 26 (FIG. 4) becomes an advance in relation to the needle row 27. In the meantime, the cam 20 has freed the pistons 14 which reascends with the bar 12 under the action of the springs 7.

The roller 19 of the pistons 4 thus passes under the cam 21, whose peak is at this moment inactive (FIG. 3). The bar 12 thus remains in the upper position until the end of its oscillating movement which brings it in front of the needles 27 (FIG. 6). At this instant the lever 16 controls the reciprocating movement of the bar 12, which passes the pile thread 14 under the hook 29 of the needles 27, i.e., above the latch 31. Then, due to the oscillation of the shaft 1, the bar 12 draws back (FIG. 7, arrow 32) while the peak of the cam 21 begins to act on the roller 19 of the pistons 4 for lowering the guide bar 12 and pressing the pile thread 14 below the latches 31 (arrow 24, FIG. 8). Then the cam 21 releases the rollers 19 and the pistons 4 reascend with the bar 12 under the pull of the springs 7, such that the bar 12 is in the upper position behind the needles 26 of the other needle row in order to continue its reciprocating or advance movement (FIG. 9, arrow 32) while the peak of the cam 20 is in the eclipsed position. At the end of this course, the apparatus is in the position illustrated in FIG. 2 and a new cycle can begin.

Naturally, it would not be outside the scope of the invention to use more than two assemblies 3, 4, 7 for operating the same guide bar 12, this depending on the width of the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a guide bar for the pile thread of a Rachael machine having mechanisms controlling the reciprocating movement and the oscillating movement, the apparatus comprising supports connected to the oscillating shaft, slides connected to the supports which slides are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the oscillating shaft, the slides each serving as a guide, a spring-loaded piston in each slide, a cam acting on each piston against the spring action, the cams being supported on rotary shafts parallel to the oscillating shaft and mounted on a stationary support on the machine, spaced bars supported by the pistons and their piston rods, the bars being parallel to the oscillating shaft and being displaceable by the pistons under the action of the cams and spring whilst maintaining their spacing, brackets slidable along the bars with a reciprocating motion, and a guide bar connected to the brackets and adapted to be coupled by a swivel connection to the mechanism for controlling the reciprocating movement.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising roller means mounted at the top of each piston for engagement by the rotating cams.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, for use in a Raschel machine with a double needle row, comprising two cams secured to said rotary shafts above each piston rotating in opposite'directions, at half-speed in relation to the alternating movement of the oscillating shaft. 

1. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a guide bar for the pile thread of a Rachael machine having mechanisms controlling the reciprocating movement and the oscillating movement, the apparatus comprising supports connected to the oscillating shaft, slides connected to the supports which slides are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the oscillating shaft, the slides each serving as a guide, a spring-loaded piston in each slide, a cam acting on each piston against the spring action, the cams being supported on rotary shafts parallel to the oscillating shaft and mounted on a stationary support on the machine, spaced bars supported by the pistons and their piston rods, the bars being parallel to the oscillating shaft and being displaceable by the pistons under the action of the cams and spring whilst maintaining their spacing, brackets slidable along the bars with a reciprocating motion, and a guide bar connected to the brackets and adapted to be coupled by a swivel connection to the mechanism for controlling the reciprocating movement.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising roller means mounted at the top of each piston for engagement by the rotating cams.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, for use in a Raschel machine with a double needle row, comprising two cams secured to said rotary shafts above each piston rotating in opposite directions, at half-speed in relation to the alternating movement of the oscillating shaft. 